The Oyster Perpetual is the distillation of the three core criteria for every : The Oyster case for water resistance, the Perpetually winding rotor and the Chronometer rating for timekeeping. With a solid platform, can go wild with crazy dials for a more personal touch. For this weeks Pre-Owned Picks, I select some standout OP configurations from Chrono24.A few weeks back, Rob and I went toe-to-toe over the best beater watch from and Grand Seiko. The term beater, otherwise known as the go anywhere, do anything watch, may seem a misnomer for a circa $4,000 luxury object, but in this wild and wacky watch world it isn t so insane.The sporty Oyster Perpetual is designed to be tough and dependa...

Perhaps it has something to do with the universality of stainless steel dive watches, but whenever I see one for the first time, I can always picture it on my wrist immediately. Theres something about the form-fitting lines of a purpose-made dive watch that naturally transports it to my wrist within my imagination. The Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba is no different.It all comes down to points of reference. I enjoyed writing about the MB&F Bulldog, but I had no concept of the wearing experience. However, the proportional scale of the Khaki Navy Scuba Auto allows it to adapt to any possible situation.Dive cred for under 700 EurosThe stainless steel bracelet has quite a bit more character than o...

Please, may I order one Croissant central chronograph hand for my Patek and two Sword hour hands for my watches? Oh, lord, I also need that Pistol hand for my Cartier Tank. Sci-fi? Not at all. The charismatic, creative, and passionate French Romaric Andre, the brains and soul behind seconde/seconde/, pivots his artistry towards unexplored waters. Besides uniquely fine-tuned vintage watches, seconde/seconde/ started selling strictly limited runs of daringly creative and carefully manufactured watch hands. Whenever you feel like it, you can install these handsets on the vintage watch of your choice. Will it ruin the design of your vintage watch, or on the contrary, will it make it even the mo...

2020 marks the 60th anniversary of Grand Seiko. The brand that we love so much here on Fratello. Earlier this year, we already showed you the Grand Seiko SBGH281 in this article. Grand Seiko sent us the watch for a closer look, so without further ado.As you probably know (because of this article), I am a sucker for the 44GS style case. For me, it embodies Grand Seiko s specific design choices. It shows that a brand can have a modern watch, inspired by its heritage (1967) without becoming boring. Nobody ever accused Grand Seiko of lacking inspiration when it comes to the 44GS style case. I love all the little facets on the lugs and the wide case band on the 44GS style case. This Grand Seiko S...

I ve always enjoyed doing interviews. Having the opportunity to pick the brains of industry executives is a real privilege (which you can add to the long list of privileges we as watch reviewers get to enjoy). Normally, we find ourselves asking the same old questions. In these interesting times, however, it is all changed.Brands are being forced to think, feel, and react. This is undoubtedly the biggest crisis watchmaking has suffered this century. Yes, the financial crash eventually sent shock waves through our world, but it was business as usual. A little choppy, yes, but normal enough to stay the course and keep doing what had always been done.Those times are gone. We live in a new world....

Welcome back to Wrist Game or Crying Shame, the weekly article that lets you play Commander in Chief. This week, we view an uncommon one with the Glashtte Original Senator Navigator. But first…Last week, I showed you a freshly serviced Omega Speedmaster Professional X-33. It turns out that a service, boxes and papers, and a super geeky Speedy are a recipe for success. As such, the X-33 returned to orbit with a healthy 58% Wrist Game win. Not bad for a quartz watch, is it? Well, today, we take to the air in lieu of space with the Glashtte Original Senator Navigator.The Return of Glashtte OriginalI can still remember Glashtte s return to the USA. It was sometime in the 1990s and both...

It is not too often at Fratello that we dive into the world of Japanese anime. However, it is a phenomenon that attracts many fans and enthusiasts worldwide. In partnership with Studio Ghibli, Seiko honors one of the most legendary animated movies ever made. Seiko honors the 1992 animated film Porco Rosso with a set of two limited edition watches. Both watches bring the story of Porco Rosso to life perfectly and are therefore pieces for the real collectors. In the first of two reviews, we go hands-on with the Seiko Presage SNR047 Porco Rosso.We have already seen quite a few good releases from Seiko in 2020. The number of watches the brand has shared is impressive. A large number of those wat...

In my career, I have been lucky enough to visit hundreds of top retailers in the Northern Hemisphere. Some I just passed through, picking up information as I went. Others I worked with occasionally, learning a little from each of them. A handful, however, I worked with extensively. Perhaps the retailer I ve worked with the most is Ace Jewelers in Amsterdam.During my time with NOMOS Glashtte, we produced two special editions together. Since then, the brand and retailer have produced two more. Our working relationship was always fun, mostly because the team at Ace never sits still. They are always moving, always striving, always looking for a way to get ahead of the curve. As such, I thought ...

The Omega Speedmaster Moon 345.0809 or Speedy Moon is one of those grail watches of mine. It s not the small production of 1,300 that makes it so desirable for me, but rather its complications combined with the classic Speedmaster design.It is no secret that the Speedmaster is my favorite chronograph. I love the design of the case, the clean and readable dial, and the history of this watch. Now, the Speedmaster Moon 345.0809 combines two of the complications I love the most - the chronograph and a moon phase indicator. It makes the dial a bit more cluttered, but the beautiful moon and stars on a disc make up for that. The Speedymoon was produced between November 1985 and January 1989. Let s ...

Welcome to our newest series, Two For Tuesday. Today, we ll pit two of the watch world s most popular watches against each other in a tussle to be Tuesday s-top-dog. It s the GMT 16710 vs the Submariner 14060M.Yes, Two For Tuesday is a new concept for us, but it came to mind when we were spitballing about new directions for the site. As the resident watch geek amongst my friends and colleagues, I m usually their first stop for advice. Oftentimes, people don t ask about a specific watch. They actually ask about a brand. Someone will say something like, I want an Omega. Or, I want a . Amazingly, they ll often boil it down to two models that are somewhat similar (i.e. both are sporty, both are...

In the olden days, long before Covid-19 swept the globe leaving a trail of heartbreak and disruption in its wake, I used to have friends. Really. Well, at least, I knew people who would willingly spend time with me if there was beer involved. One of the places we - the founding members of @RedBarMcr - used to meet to discuss our next group meetings was The Moon Under Water on Deansgate. In the egocentric fantasy land I like to occupy as often as possible, Seiko has therefore released the SPB171 to commemorate one of the former watering holes frequented by my friends and me. That is, of course, nonsense. But the watch is anything but…I ve never been to Japan. As soon as lockdown is over...

Ok, this is going to be fun. Nowadays you cannot put all of your eggs in one basket. Meaning, content creation is at its peak so its not enough to concentrate on one type of channel. Thats why Fratello Watches is not only an online magazine but also on most of your favorite social media platforms. Im talking about the usual suspects like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and of course Instagram. Enter: Watch On Your Wrist…The rules are simple. Every week we will pick four watch images from Instagram. All you need to do to be eligible for selection is tag your watch shots with #fratellowatches. We will publish these four images here on the Magazine with a bit of a background story. You can vo...

In the world of Omega, the Speedmaster is king. There is no doubt about it. And the Seamaster a very loyal and steady queen to the king. But what about the rest of the collection? We find that several models are not talked about as much as they should be. Even within the Speedmaster and Seamaster collections, some models are sometimes overlooked. As such, I ve compiled a list of five Omega watches introduced over the last couple of years that might not always get the attention they deserve.With a large number of Omega releases every year, there will always be watches that will not have the long-lasting success of some of the other watches in the collection. Consequently, I wanted to take a l...

Just a few days before traveling became impossible, we saw the new Longines Spirit collection. Under embargo, of course. So we are happy that it s now finally time to show you the pictures we took during that appointment.To me, it seems that Longines is taking a new direction with the Spirit collection. Although we ve seen - and still see - some heritage-inspired watches from Saint-Imier, this Longines Spirit collection is different. It combines heritage and modern watchmaking, with a very attractive price tag.Longines Spirit CollectionEvery new watch needs a story. For this collection, Longines has dived into its archives and come up with tales of more than 20 pioneers as well as some extra...

In this Sunday morning column, two of our writers go head-to-head in an epic showdown for the ages. Strong opinions and hysterical hyperbole are welcome (so feel free to join in with the fun in the comments section below). And dont forget to let us know which watches youd like to see torn to shreds/effusively exalted next week. Well try and feature as many of our readers choices as we can. This week, we ve got another head-to-head for you. Could the Datejust 116234 and the Grand Seiko SBGA211 Snowflake, please enter the ring…Hey, hey! I m on something of a roll. Old Benny Boy might have had my number when it came to our A. Lange & S?hne clash a few weeks back, but in our three mos...

Welcome to This Week in Watches for June 6, 2020 the surprising edition. There were some unexpected releases this week so let s take a look!Frederique Constant Classic Worldtimer ManufactureIt s always surprising to see a Frederique Constant in gold and I must say that this week s Classic Worldtime Manufacture was a pleasant one. FC will make a maximum of 88 of these world timers with a polished 42mm rose gold case. The in-house FC-718 automatic toils away and allows the wearer to rotate an inner bezel via the crown. With its dark blue dial and striking details, I think this is a serious looker. And while FC might not be your first choice when you re considering a mega spend, this one comes ...

This topic perfectly follows up the previous one, which was all about the details. When talking about tourbillon watches, you re generally referring to just one tiny detail. Albeit a very interesting one. While these watches are out of reach for many of us, they are popular regardless. The complication has the ability to reveal many beautiful details that watchmaking has to offer. So let s have a look at some stunning tourbillon watches from my archives.For those of you who dont know about a tourbillon, or what it does, lets explain it in short. It all begins with gravity and the effect it has on a watch. Or, to be more precise, the effect it has on a watch s beating heart. As gravity affect...

This is now my fifth article in the Pre-owned Picks column, and I thoroughly enjoy scouring Chrono24 for inspiration. This week I am looking back in the not too distant past at three modern timepieces from Jaeger-LeCoultre.Readers may notice I often side-step the likes of the GMT Master II Pepsi or the Daytona Cerachrom. That is not to say these are not worth the time to seek out. Quite the opposite, these watches are in such demand that secondary market price is typically double the asking price brand new.Rare beastsInstead, I select the rare and perhaps unloved darlings in the deep, dark corners of watch collecting. Watches such as the Breitling Emergency Orbiter 3, or IWC Aquatimer Cous...

Although it s one of the more straightforward horological complications, the alarm function is still rare among modern timepieces. Then again, most watch complications are obsolete these days. We can use our phones instead of a chronograph, a moon-phase, triple date, and, of course, timekeeper. But watchmaking is not always about practicality. Sometimes it s about style and tradition. And what could be more stylish than a mechanical alarm? Specifically, a Master Control Memovox by Jaeger-LeCoultre…The Vallee de Joux, where JLC resides, represents the unspoiled and peaceful nature, Switzerland is famous for. It was here, where during the long winter months, watchmakers of the valley dev...

Nowadays, it seems everybody wants something that is exclusively their s. In the upper echelons of watchmaking, this can go as far as unique pieces created for extremely wealthy clients. But what about for the rest of us? What do those of us with shallower pockets do when we want to put our individual stamp on a timepiece for ourselves or a loved one? The time-honored art of engraving is still alive-and-kicking. But it doesn t make sense in every case (literally)…Engraving can be a fine solution for adding a personal flourish to a watch purchase. It can be done by hand or machine, but it isn t sensible for every watch. The first question you need to ask yourself is why you want to alte...